Lord Drayson: As at 1 January 2006, the number of self-declared adherents of the faiths listed currently serving in the Armed Forces were as follows.
	
		
			 Muslim Hindu Sikh Buddhist 
			 320 250 85 245 
		
	
	Source: DASA (Tri-Service)
	1. UK Regular forces includes nursing services and excludes full-time Reserve service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, mobilised reservists and naval activated reservists.
	2. Figures include both trained and untrained personnel.
	3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five to prevent disclosure of sensitive personal data.
	4. Due to rounding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts.
	The conditioned working hours for the respective chaplains to the Armed Forces are as follows.
	
		
			 Muslim Hindu Sikh Buddhist 
			 36 hours per week (a full-time appointment) 22 ½ hours per week 15 hours per week 15 hours per week 
		
	
	The working hours for these posts are currently under review.

Lord Swinfen: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to bring treatment of members of the Reserve Forces into line with the principles set out in the House of Lords decision in Matthews and others v. Kent and Medway Towns Fire Authority and others.

Lord Drayson: Twelve Royal Air Force bases are made available to the United States Visiting Forces in the United Kingdom. Records of such incidents reported to United Kingdom police officers are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate effort.

Lord Triesman: We are in regular contact with international partners regarding an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), including Russia. On 20 February, a cross-Whitehall delegation visited Moscow to discuss the ATT initiative with Russian counterparts. Discussions covered the general scope of a treaty, but focused more at this point on process and on how the initiative may be taken forward within the UN context. We will continue to work with Russia and other international partners to generate support towards our objective of initial discussions in the UN later in 2006.

Bethlehem

Lord Bach: Flood risk management is a devolved responsibility. Defra has policy responsibility in England, funds most of the Environment Agency's flood-related work and grant-aids individual projects undertaken by local authorities and internal drainage boards. The programme to manage risk is driven by these operating authorities; Defra does not build defences, nor directs the authorities on which specific projects to undertake.
	Climate change is expected to impact on flood risk through increased storminess and sea level rise and Defra advises the operating authorities on allowances to be made in the design of defences. The department's developing strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management, Making Space for Water, aims to produce revised policy guidance on appraisal by 2007 for those implementing measures to manage flood risk. This updated guidance will take account of the latest research and developments of good practice to ensure that adaptability to climate change through robust and resilient solutions and full consideration of all economic, environmental and social impacts continues to be an integral part of all flood and coastal erosion risk management decisions.
	The Government have no specific plans to strengthen protection for farmland. However, operating authorities are encouraged to consider the case for improvement on merit within a strategic catchment-wide approach to reducing flood risk. Such works may be grant-aided by Defra if they meet our criteria. Clearly issues such as value for money, maximising the benefit from public investment and long-term sustainability are key considerations when deciding how to invest taxpayers' money and building ever-higher defences in all places is unlikely to be either sustainable or cost effective. The Government intend to continue to give priority to schemes which have maximum effect in reducing the risk of flooding to people.

Lord Bach: Funding for the restoration and maintenance of stone walls is available through the agri-environment schemes, which support landscape conservation and the historical environment, including important features such as traditional field boundaries.
	The entry level stewardship strand of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme provides an option to protect and maintain stone walls, and this is open to all land managers provided they meet the scheme's requirements.
	The higher stewardship element of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme offers stone wall restoration capital grants to agreement holders, when taken up alongside appropriate land management options. This part of the scheme is competitive and entry into it is discretionary, based upon the delivery of significant environmental benefits.
	Further information can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/es/default.htm.

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 1 March (WA 62), whether the £500,000 to be made available by April 2007 from the Children and Young People Fund for the provision of child contact centres is supplementary to moneys already provided; what is the provision for 2006–07; and what the provision has been since April 2003.

Lord Rooker: I can confirm that the £500,000 from the Children and Young People's Fund package is additional money which will be used to expand the provision of children's contact centre services.
	In addition to the £500,000 from the Children and Young Peoples Fund package, £248,962 is being allocated to the child contact centres in Northern Ireland from the Health and Social Services Trusts and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for financial year 2006-07. This includes funding from the Department of Social Development, Neighbourhood Renewal Programme for one Centre, which is paid through the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
	From 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2005, £328,989 has been provided to the child contact centres.

Lord Warner: The data are set out in the following table but are only available since 2000 when strategic health authorities came into existence. Data on the costs of treating genital warts are not collected centrally.
	
		Diagnoses of genital warts: first attack, recurrence and re-registered cases by strategic health authority and sex in England: 2000-04
		
			 Strategic Health Authority Sex 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire Male 2,661 2,659 2,625 2,655 2,797 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire Female 2,138 2,167 2,169 2,155 2,177 
			 Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Male 1,783 1,909 1,745 1,785 1,808 
			 Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Female 1,430 1,465 1,489 1,537 1,494 
			 Birmingham & the Black Country Male 1,633 1,948 1,986 1,933 1,948 
			 Birmingham & the Black Country Female 1,238 1,665 1,552 1,503 1,456 
			 Cheshire & Merseyside Male 2,769 2,649 2,914 2,993 3,512 
			 Cheshire & Merseyside Female 2,229 2,129 2,151 2,381 2,600 
			 County Durham & Tees Valley Male 1,125 1,115 1,119 1,170 1,154 
			 County Durham & Tees Valley Female 913 944 960 981 1,017 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Male 1,795 1,710 1,549 1,593 1,629 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Female 1,357 1,353 1,195 1,286 1,329 
			 Cumbria & Lancashire Male 1,993 2,060 2,112 2,268 2,368 
			 Cumbria & Lancashire Female 1,551 1,474 1,530 1,783 1,748 
			 Dorset & Somerset Male 1,614 1,693 1,727 1,780 1,611 
			 Dorset & Somerset Female 1,159 1,215 1,297 1,180 1,081 
			 Essex Male 1,778 2,066 2,144 2,126 2,215 
			 Essex Female 1,298 1,481 1,526 1,408 1,639 
			 Greater Manchester Male 3,510 3,618 3,330 4,024 3,687 
			 Greater Manchester Female 2,774 2,911 2,806 3,081 2,962 
			 Hampshire & Isle of Wight Male 1,951 2,046 2,105 1,926 1,839 
			 Hampshire & Isle of Wight Female 1,616 1,622 1,576 1,526 1,527 
			 Kent & Medway Male 1,570 1,572 1,643 1,599 1,679 
			 Kent & Medway Female 1,291 1,230 1,249 1,203 1,441 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland Male 1,832 1,628 1,577 1,536 1,599 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland Female 1,392 1,252 1,165 1,209 1,236 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk & Cambridgeshire Male 2,277 2,274 2,287 2,353 2,255 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk & Cambridgeshire Female 1,866 1,955 1,817 1,968 1,917 
			 North and East Yorkshire & Northern Lincoln Male 1,155 1,258 1,450 1,661 1,638 
			 North and East Yorkshire & Northern Lincoln Female 922 1,164 1,265 1,406 1,390 
			 North Central London Male 2,026 2,244 2,500 2,337 2,370 
			 North Central London Female 1,489 1,619 1,717 1,500 1,663 
			 North-East London Male 2,633 2,704 2,830 2,997 2,669 
			 North-East London Female 1,796 1,783 1,917 2,041 1,721 
			 North-West London Male 4,711 4,879 4,495 4,137 4,670 
			 North-West London Female 2,817 2,791 2,541 2,447 2,676 
			 Northumberland, Tyne & Wear Male 2,381 2,252 2,089 2,173 2,318 
			 Northumberland, Tyne & Wear Female 1,887 1,727 1,719 1,654 1,836 
			 Shropshire & Staffordshire Male 1,526 1,571 1,439 1,425 1,726 
			 Shropshire & Staffordshire Female 1,193 1,255 1,181 1,233 1,268 
			 South-East London Male 2,455 2,551 2,670 2,743 2,679 
			 South-East London Female 1,779 1,776 1,836 1,913 1,885 
			 South-West London Male 2,153 1,965 2,239 2,248 2,537 
			 South-West London Female 1,564 1,493 1,620 1,626 1,715 
			 South-West Peninsula Male 1,700 1,774 1,876 1,841 2,000 
			 South-West Peninsula Female 1,553 1,606 1,642 1,711 1,657 
			 South Yorkshire Male 1,956 1,908 1,767 1,855 2,010 
			 South Yorkshire Female 1,526 1,501 1,409 1,521 1,567 
			 Surrey & Sussex Male 3,434 3,395 3,763 3,285 3,096 
			 Surrey & Sussex Female 2,592 2,571 2,817 2,628 2,750 
			 Thames Valley Male 2,796 2,782 2,731 2,844 2,709 
			 Thames Valley Female 2,169 2,199 2,122 2,533 2,191 
			 Trent Male 2,772 3,049 2,950 2,848 3,192 
			 Trent Female 2,280 2,383 2,319 2,203 2,486 
			 West Yorkshire Male 2,747 2,859 2,846 2,966 2,913 
			 West Yorkshire Female 2,157 2,181 2,018 2,073 2,111 
		
	
	Source: KC60 Returns

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, after the election in Israel, they will propose new initiatives for the Austrian presidency to inject into the European Union portion of the Middle East peace process Quartet so as to revive the road map negotiations.

Lord Rooker: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure noted that the 2005 business case duplicated the 2004 business case to a large extent, but that it differed in a number of aspects including the costings and elements of the programme. The department identified deficiencies in the application and requested additional information which was provided to the department's satisfaction.
	The scrutiny process is ongoing as this grant is only paid out on the basis of original invoices. A post event evaluation report has been requested.

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What impact paying the state pension to women who care for children or dependents will have with regard to the potentially discriminatory effect upon women of the contributory scheme.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 establishes detailed legal regimes for donations and loans.
	Part IV of and Schedule 6 to that Act establish the rules for the reporting of gifts, which fall under the category of donations. The regime includes the following measures. All donations above £5,000 (cash or otherwise) must be reported to the Electoral Commission on a quarterly basis (or weekly, in the run-up to a general election). The Act also contains restrictions on the sources of donations so as to prohibit foreign or anonymous donations to political parties. All individual donors must be on the electoral register in the UK. In addition, Part IX of and Schedule 19 to PPERA introduced a requirement that shareholder consent must be obtained before a company makes a donation to a political party or incurs political expenditure. It also requires the disclosure of political expenditure in directors' annual reports to shareholders.
	Part III of the Act requires political parties to maintain accounting records. The making of loans to a political party must be included in the accounting records.
	An annual statement of accounts is required to be provided to the Electoral Commission, which makes it available for public inspection. Political parties are not required to identify the makers of loans in their statements of accounts.
	A loan will only be treated as a donation if there is a gratuitous element to it. The definition of donation in Section 50(2)(e) of the Act includes,
	"any money lent to the party otherwise than on commercial terms".
	This is to be assessed by having regard to
	"the total value in monetary terms of the consideration provided by or on behalf of the party in respect of the loan"
	(Section 50(4)). Accordingly, the more detailed provisions applicable to donations will not apply generally to loans.

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, following the attempted hijacking of a vessel contracted to deliver aid to Somalia on 13 March and the International Maritime Bureau's warning that piracy will increase this year, they will seek a United Nations Security Council resolution to station appropriate naval forces in the area, to deter and arrest pirates and arms traders.

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 8 March (WA 144), what public notification has been made by each of the signatories to the Central Council of Physical Recreation's voluntary code of conduct for sports events to support the intention to invest at least 5 per cent. of broadcasting income in the development of their sports; and whether any such public declarations have been submitted annually by each of the signatories to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.